Pokemon: Radical Redux-Chapter 325: Dress to Impress

It's been a few days. Over that time, they have made the most of the festival. During it, they met up with Silver, and Ash watched his Gym battle against Morty. He lost, but he won on his second attempt.

They also met with Ethan and Kris, just hanging out and playing. Apparently, Ethan already had the badge, it was one of the ones he earned last year, so he had nothing to worry about.

Of course, Silver didn't admit he liked hanging out with them. However, when he was with Kris, he seemed less grumpy, only for that to be ruined when Ethan joined in, making him sour again.

After a while, he decided to leave, saying he was going to get a head start and head to the next Gym, which was fine. But Ash made sure to take a picture of them eating candy apples and send it to Green.

Of course, after Ash sent the picture, Green demanded that Silver not leave, saying she was on her way. So, begrudgingly, despite wanting to leave, Silver stayed.

Speaking of which, apparently, Gary had also come through here, but he got his badge and moved on. He probably went to one of the other towns to cool off since he was still angry about what happened.

As for Virgil, Chloe, and Regina, Ash went back to check on them. Let's just say he saw all of them wearing kimonos, even Virgil. He couldn't bring himself to tease them, so he just turned around and left.

As for the festival itself, yeah, it was fun. Unsurprisingly, Misty grabbed Ash and dragged him along to win another mountain of plushies, being as shameless as ever.

Of course, there was a moment when Ash was alone with the Kimono Girls and Morty, giving him a chance to ask what he actually wanted to know: Did they know anything about the ring?

As they all sat at the table, Ash explained how Ho-Oh had given him the ring and how Lugia had done something to it. Also, he just couldn't take it off.

Morty inspected the ring closely. "Huh, interesting. A ring, and Ho-Oh gave it to you? I don't think I've ever heard anything about that..."

One of the Kimono Girls nodded and continued, "Yes, we've read all the stories of Ho-Oh and Lugia that exist, and we haven't found anything mentioning a ring..."

Ash sighed. "Well, so much for getting my hopes up. I was really hoping I could find out what this thing can do. I've had it for a little over a year now, and still nothing at all."

"I apologize that we cannot be of more help to you, dear Rainbow Hero," another Kimono Girl said, bowing slightly.

Ash waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, it's fine. I'm sure I'll find something out eventually. But are you sure there's nothing?"

Morty crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "Well, I haven't seen anything, but let me check."

Morty knelt down on the ground, bringing his fingers to the center of his forehead as he took a deep breath. Morty also had a special ability, he was a Hex Maniac, and he had the power of clairvoyance.

As his vision spread around, he narrowed his search to every book in Ecruteak City, quickly scanning for anything about the ring. Finally, he opened his eyes and shook his head. "Sorry, looks like there's nothing in Ecruteak City. There's nothing on that ring in any book."

Ash shrugged and shook his head. "That's fine, I guess. I'll just keep looking on my own. Maybe one day I'll find out what this thing does."

"Well, if it involves Ho-Oh, it is sure to be something great," a Kimono Girl said.

"Yeah. Tell you what, I'll look into it, and if I find anything, I'll contact you. How does that sound?" Morty offered.

"Sounds great to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I have to get ready to be your prince tomorrow."

—

It was the last day of the festival. As soon as they got up, Ash left the gang to go with Abby and head back to Pallet Town. He let Pikachu keep sleeping on the couch since he wouldn't be gone for more than five minutes.

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When he teleported back, he told Abby to drop him off at the lab first. He appeared right in the middle of the room, where Professor Oak was sitting at his desk, sipping tea. Tracey was also there, working on his own tasks. The sudden entrance led to a prolonged moment of eye contact.

Ash cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Uhh, hey there, Professor. Just checking in like I said I would... How are things going?"

"Ah, yes, well, things have been fine." Oak set his tea down and grabbed a Pokéball from the shelf, handing it to Ash. "I already got Rowan to co-sign the paper, and I managed to evolve another Wyrdeer, so you're good to take him back,"

"Alright, cool then," Ash said, taking Wyrdeer's Pokéball back. "And how about the progress on, you know... making me not 'suspicious'?"

"That's different. You should be fine, and if anyone asks, just say you received the evolution method from me directly. I'll confirm it if needed," Oak assured him.

"Alright, cool. Thanks." Ash secured the Pokéball on his belt and was just about to turn around when Oak spoke up again.

"Er, my boy, one more thing. Would you mind if I borrowed your Venusaur?" Oak asked. "The season is about to change, and a lot of Pokémon will be coming here for shelter and food. This is usually when I find the most injured Pokémon, and when that happens, there's often infighting and arguments."

Ash stopped and looked at him. "Um, I guess I don't mind... but why don't you use yours? I mean, yours is probably way stronger than mine."

Oak scratched his cheek. "Well... I used to, but..." He grabbed a Pokéball and released it, revealing a large, old Venusaur. "You see, he's quite old. He's still plenty strong, but the problem is he can't move like he used to, so most Pokémon can just outrun him."

Tracey, however, got excited and quickly moved to inspect Venusaur. "This is incredible! He looks so healthy at such an old age! As expected of Professor Oak!"

Oak turned back to Ash. "Your Venusaur, however, is young, and I've seen him take care of Pokémon before. He's perfect for the job. So, may I?"

Ash scratched his cheek. "I mean, I don't see why not." He grabbed Venusaur's Pokéball and let him out outside.

Ash patted him on the head. "Hey, bud. Professor Oak wants to know if you'd be willing to stay here and take care of the Pokémon. You interested?"

Venusaur tilted his head in thought. It had been a while since he'd gone back to his roots, caring for those who couldn't care for themselves. After a moment, he nodded. "Saur!"

Ash nodded and handed Venusaur's Pokéball to Oak. "Looks like he's in. Take good care of him for me."

Oak nodded. "Of course, my boy."

Before leaving, Ash rummaged through his bag and pulled out a spare Leaf Stone he had from a while ago. He tucked it into Venusaur's flower and winked at him. "Gotta get you a little gift for that Gloom I know you have a crush on~"

Venusaur's face turned pink, redder than his flower, as he blushed furiously. In retaliation, he smacked Ash with a vine, pushing him out the door.

Ash chuckled, rubbing his cheek. "Good luck, my guy." With that, he walked back home, leaving them behind.

Before he got there, Ash quickly placed a hand on his cheek, using a bit of Aura to remove the mark left by Venusaur's playful smack. Once satisfied, he made his way to his house and knocked on the door.

The moment it opened, he was greeted by Molly, who was wearing a cute little pink kimono. She beamed at him before jumping forward and clinging to his waist. "Big Brother!"

Ash chuckled, hugging her back and patting her head. "Hey, Molly."

From inside the house, Delia approached with a warm smile. "Hello, sweetie. It's good to see you. And thanks again for agreeing to take Molly with you!"

Ash grinned teasingly. "I dunno... Tell me, has Molly been a good girl~?"

Molly puffed out her cheeks in a pout. "Yes, I have!"

"Hmmm, I don't know..." Ash mused, rubbing his chin.

Delia joined in on the teasing, shaking her head. "She might have chosen not to eat all her broccoli."

"Uhh, that's not fair!" Molly exclaimed, glancing between them in mild panic. "I also got an A on my test!"

Ash raised an eyebrow. "Oh, impressive. When did you get this A?"

"...Last week," Molly admitted sheepishly, twiddling her fingers.

Delia giggled. "Goodness, holding onto an A just to use it against us, how naughty." She gently cupped Molly's little cheeks and gave them a soft pinch.

"Noooo, please, Mama," Molly pleaded, looking up with big, puppy-dog eyes. "I'll be extra good, I pinky swear!"

"Ohhh, a pinky swear? This is serious~" Delia said, covering her mouth in a mock gasp.

"Yes! I pinky swear, Mama and Big Brother!" Molly declared, holding up her two small fingers.

"Okay, but you know the consequences of breaking a pinky promise," Ash said playfully, taking her pinky in his. Delia giggled and did the same, sealing the promise.

"Yay! Okay, let's go!" Molly cheered, bouncing excitedly before running to stand beside Ash, quickly grabbing his hand.

Delia smiled warmly. "Alright now, Ash, remember to take good care of Molly. She can stay with you for the night, but make sure she gets enough sleep. And if you need anything, you can always call."

"I promise," Ash said with a grin. "I'll get you a souvenir too, Mom. See you!"

Just then, Abby walked over, and in a flash of light, teleported them away, leaving Delia standing at the doorway, watching them with a fond smile.

—-

When they teleported back to the festival, Ash met up with everyone again, now with Molly in tow.

Without hesitation, he lifted Molly onto his shoulders, carrying her as they strolled through the early morning festivities. Pikachu, now walking next to Ash instead, gave her a side-eye, clearly jealous that his favorite spot had been taken, but he didn't complain.

As they wandered through the festival, they came across a stall with a plushie that immediately caught Molly's attention. She stared at it, eyes wide with excitement, so without a second thought, Ash decided to win it for her.

It was a rigid and tricky game, but with Ash being a cheating cheater that will always use his cheats to get ahead, he will out cheat the cheaters, and so he did leaving them surprised and questioning their life choices

Molly now had a life-size Teddiursa plush, which she hugged tightly while still riding on Ash's shoulders.

"You're the best big brother!" she cheered between bites of the corndog Ash had bought for her.

"Of course," Ash said, ever humble. "You do have the bestest, most handsome, and strongest big brother, after all."

Eventually, they made their way to the front of the dance hall, where Ash spotted the rest of his friends waiting for him. Brock, Misty, Yellow, Ethan, Kris, and even Silver stood there, waving him over. He quickly noticed they were all wearing kimonos, though, as expected, Silver was standing a bit farther back.

Ash walked up and whistled. "Wow, looks like you guys got all dressed up. Kinda makes me feel underdressed," he chuckled, glancing down at his usual outfit.

"Well, duh," Misty said, crossing her arms. "It's the Eclipse Festival. We should dress up, especially you, since you're supposed to be the prince."

Misty and Yellow had new kimonos for the occasion. Misty's was a sleeveless pink kimono with a blue jacket draped over her arms, while Yellow wore a pure white kimono with floral patterns, her hair styled into a little bun. Brock still had his green kimono from last year.

Ethan, however, wasn't focused on the outfits. Instead, he pointed at Molly, tilting his head. "Yeah, but... who's the little girl on your shoulders?"

Kris immediately smacked him over the head.

"What he means is," Kris said through gritted teeth as she yanked Ethan's hair, "care to introduce us?"

Ethan, rubbing his head, muttered something under his breath, his black kimono slightly wrinkled from Kris's attack. She, on the other hand, wore a blue kimono with Pokéball designs. A bit further back, Silver stood with his arms crossed, wearing a red kimono with a brown jacket draped over his shoulders,

"This is Molly," Ash said casually, helping Molly climb down from his shoulders. "She's my little sister."

Molly grinned, clutching her plush. "Hi! It's nice to meet you! Are you all friends with my big brother?"

"Of course we are," Ethan said with a thumbs-up, grinning.

Before the conversation could go any further, a sharp voice called out behind them.

"I can't believe this! You had Molly this whole time and didn't tell me?!"

At that, Silver actually looked... a little less grumpy.

Everyone turned to see Green standing there, arms crossed, her kimono flowing slightly in the breeze. Her green eyes locked onto Ash with betrayal.

"Why didn't you tell me you brought Molly along?!" she demanded.

Of course Green knew Molly, she had met her back when Molly visited Pallet Town. So she knew and liked both Green and Gary.

"Green!" Molly cheered, dashing forward.

Green's frustration instantly melted away as she scooped Molly into a tight hug, nuzzling her cheek against hers. "Molly!!! Did you miss me? You can call me big sis too, you know!"

Molly giggled but shook her head. "Sorry, but Ash is my big brother now, and he's the bestest!"

Green gasped, looking completely betrayed, Ash sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "It's... a long story."

"We have time," Green shot back immediately.

Before Ash could respond, the doors to the dance hall swung open. The Kimono Girls stepped out, smiling as they spotted Ash.

"Perfect timing," one of them said. "Come, dear Rainbow Hero, we need to get your outfit ready!"

"I'm sorry, what now?" everyone said in unison.

"Of course! If you're going to play your part, you need to dress the part. Come now," one of the Kimono Girls said as they surrounded Ash, gently but firmly dragging him inside.

"Don't worry! You can trust us, dear Rainbow Hero!" another reassured as the doors shut behind them, leaving everyone outside wondering just what was happening to Ash in there.

"...Ash... in fancy clothes?" Brock mumbled, struggling to picture it.

Misty and Green exchanged smirks.

"Oh, this is going to be great," Misty said, rubbing her hands together gleefully. "I bet he looks awful in it! Or worse, what if they overdo his makeup and he walks out looking like a clown?"

"I am taking a picture the second he steps out," Green declared with a nod.

Kris, looking a little lost, turned to Yellow. "Um... so, what exactly is happening?"

Yellow shrugged. "I couldn't tell you."

Pikachu, who was still on the ground, gave an exaggerated shrug of his own, mimicking Yellow's movement.

A few moments later, the shuffling sounds from inside stopped. The doors slowly opened, and the group froze.

They weren't sure what they were expecting... but it definitely wasn't this.

Ash stepped out, now dressed in an elegantly styled blue kimono with red accents lining the edges. His normally messy hair had been neatly tied up with a ribbon, and the light touch of makeup applied by the Kimono Girls gave him a refined, almost noble look. He stood there, looking like a young master straight out of a wuxia story.

Ash glanced down at himself, shifting slightly. "Isn't this a bit much? What do you think?"

There was silence, Green, without breaking eye contact, slowly raised her phone and snapped a picture for later use.

Abby also teleported in the center, took a picture with a camera, then teleported away, saying nothing.

Molly was the first to react, clapping her hands excitedly. "Wow, Big Brother! You look like a prince! You're so cool!"

Ash smiled softly, bending down slightly to boop her on the nose. "Alright, if I'm a prince, then you're a princess."

Molly giggled, hugging her Teddiursa plush tightly.

Yellow fidgeted with her fingers, looking anywhere but directly at Ash. "...Um, Ash... you, um..." she hesitated before quickly blurting out, "You look... good."

Ash, completely unfazed, grinned. "Aww, thanks!"

Yellow's face turned slightly pink.

"You know," Green mused, tilting her head, "I never thought someone like you could clean up this nicely~"

Ash rolled his eyes playfully. "Alright, alright. Let's get moving. How about we head to Eclipse Castle for the festival? I want to see everything, and I'll explain the whole thing with Molly on the way."

No one protested.

With a grin, Ash lifted Molly back onto his shoulders, and the group set off, blending into the lively festival crowd once more.

---

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